Two Similar Companies ~ Big Difference in Value
Consider two different companies in virtually the same industry. Both companies have an EBITDA of $6 million – but, they have very different valuations. One is valued at five times EBITDA, pricing it at $30 million. The other is valued at seven times EBITDA, making it $42 million. What’s the difference?
One can look at the usual checklist for the answer, such as:
- The Market
- Management/Employees
- Uniqueness/Proprietary
- Systems/Controls
- Revenue Size
- Profitability
- Regional/Global Distribution
- Capital Equipment Requirements
- Intangibles (brand/patents/etc.)
- Growth Rate
There is the key, at the very end of the checklist – the growth rate. This value driver is a major consideration when buyers are considering value. For example, the seven times EBITDA company has a growth rate of 50 percent, while the five times EBITDA company has a growth rate of only 12 percent. In order to arrive at the real growth story, some important questions need to be answered. For example:
- Are the company’s projections believable?
- Where is the growth coming from?
- What services/products are creating the growth?
- Where are the customers coming from to support the projected growth – and why?
- Are there long-term contracts in place?
- How reliable are the contracts/orders?
The difference in value usually lies somewhere in the company’s growth rate!
© Copyright 2015 Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
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What Are Buyers Looking for in a Company?
It has often been said that valuing companies is an art, not a science. When a buyer considers the purchase of a company, three main things are almost always considered when arriving at an offering price.
Quality of the Earnings
Some accountants and intermediaries are very aggressive when adding back, for example, what might be considered one-time or non-recurring expenses. A non-recurring expense could be:
- meeting some new governmental guidelines,
- paying for a major lawsuit, or
- adding a new roof on the factory.
The argument is made that a non-recurring expense is a one-time drain on the “real” earnings of the company. Unfortunately, a non-recurring expense is almost an oxymoron. Almost every business has a non-recurring expense every year. By adding back these one-time expenses, the accountant or business appraiser is not allowing for the extraordinary expense (or expenses) that come up almost every year. These add-backs can inflate the earnings, resulting in a failure to reflect the real earning power of the business.
Sustainability of Earnings
The new owner is concerned that the business will sustain the earnings after the acquisition. In other words, the acquirer doesn’t want to buy the business if it is at the height of its earning power; or if the last few years of earnings have reflected a one-time contract, etc. Will the business continue to grow at the same rate it has in the past?
Verification of Information
Is the information provided by the selling company accurate, timely, and is all of it being made available? A buyer wants to make sure that there are no skeletons in the closet. How about potential litigation, environmental issues, product returns or uncollectible receivables? The above areas, if handled professionally and communicated accurately, can greatly assist in creating a favorable impression. In addition, they may also lead to a higher price and a quicker closing.
© Copyright 2015 Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
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